The puppet field is divided into a number of areas. String operated marionettes are operated from above and have strings attached to each movable part to operate or move the part. Marionettes are hard to store, can becomes easily tangled, and are often difficult to operate.
Another grouping of puppets in the sock type and puppet. This entertainment vehicle is clearly different than the marionette type puppet. Sometimes called a mouth puppet, it is endowed with lips that can contort as fingers within the mouth are moved in various ways. The sock puppet can be very expressive, but if the sock puppet has no arms, it is a poor substitute in dramatic scenes where arm action as well as a mouth action is needed. A sock or mouth puppet usually requires two hand operation if both the mouth and arms of the puppet are to be actuated. Sock puppet upper head and mouth mobility are needed in puppets that also have movable arms and allow single hand operation.
There is another group of hand puppets in which the head is operated by inserting the index finger into the neck or head cavity. Sometimes called standard glove type hand puppets, they usually have tublar arms which are operated with the thumb and other fingers. Some glove type puppets such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 961,812 and 2,931,137 also provide means for operating the jaw of the puppet with the same hand, but although these glove puppets can nod effectively, they have no means for turning the head independently of the body of the puppet with the same hand.
Another type of puppet utilizers a rod or stick affixed to the neck of the puppet to turn or rotate the head. These so called marots, such as the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,966, require the use of two hands if both the head and the arms of the puppet are to be moved simultaneously. Puppets requiring two handed operation are a problem for the solo performer when two puppets are required to interact on stage at the same time.
The most complex type of hand operable puppet is the ventriloquist figure. So called vent figures usually have a very rigid appearance in performance due to a fixed upper head relative to the shoulders of the figure. Although the upper head can be turned or rotated it can not be tilted relative to the shoulder plane when these ventriloquist dummies are made to appear to talk. U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,851 shows a ventriloquist's doll in which the jaw is pivoted downward while the upper head maintains a perpendicular position relative to the turning axis of the neck. The upperr head can not be simultaneously filted up on the jaw is lowered to give an enhanced motion to the mouth. Fully animated head motion requires the tilting of the head side to side, and the back and forth tilting of the head in addition to the motion of the jaw. This natural mouth and head movement is best embodied in the simple sock type mouth puppet which has the widest variety of animation of the upper head and jaw. Such wide range of head and mouth motions are not possible with most ventriloquist figures.
In performance there is a need for more than replication of the motions of the human head in talking. There needs to be exaggeration of these motions to add comedy and allow the audience which may be at a distance to see the motion clearly. Humanly impossible motions such as the complete revolving of the head and elongation of the neck add humor. These actions are not presently possible with most single hand glove puppet inventions. Note, for example, that U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,670, uses a rockable plate within the head structure but the device does not allow the head to rotate independently of the puppet body. Puppets that do not have a means for turning the head relative to the plane of the body or shoulders also may appear rigid in performance, since they appear to be always looking straight ahead. There is a need for combined neck, head, and enhanced mouth movement to add a natural lifelike appearance to the puppet.
Other trick movements such as neck elongation, and head spinning also contribute to a performance. Although U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,921 utilizes a hollow neck tube which slides in a cavity in the upper part of the body to combine jaw action with elongation of the neck, it is an externally operated bellows toy that has no means for internal accommodation of an operator's hand and has a very limited range of action. While this invention does some of the tasks desired, it does not teach the concept in a form that is adaptable to the needs of theatrical performance. It also lacks the tilting head capability of most marots that is useful in performance and it has the shoulder to head rigidity that is undesirable.
Another puppet improvement, U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,495, teaches a hand puppet which utilizes a cable and a manual pull ring to actuate the lower jaw with a resilient closure device to keep the mouth (jaw) closed when there is no tension on the ring. The hand and finger gripping devicce is connected to the head by pivots but similar to the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,114,851 and 2,771,708 the lower jaw merely drops in a downward direction. It lacks the necessary animation for large audiences. Note that the upper head of the puppet in U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,495 also maintains a rigid perpendicular position relative to the neck. The hollow costume is connected to the neck and prevents the comic spinning of the head. This device also does not teach the elongation of the neck in relation to the body/costume. It should be noted also that U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,851, like most vent figures, does not provide a means for actuating the upper limbs of the figure with the same hand.
Existing U.S. Patents show that there are serious deficiencies that the experienced performer would like to have solved. Head spinning is seldom possible when the neck is affixed to the puppet body and if only the jaw is tilted downward, the mouth opens in a way that is not sufficiently animated.
Another need is for a simple puppet or toy that can have exchangeable heads. There are many cases where to fit changes in expression, age, occupation, would help to develop a character and allow for accessory sales. With present puppet designs this usually means that entirely new puppet must be made, requiring addition manufacture expense. Exchangeable heads are also needed so that a given head can fit onto different sized glove bodies, sized for different hands.